India in the WTO

Moneycontrol is quoting CNBC-TV18:

Will Kamal Nath get Commerce Ministry this time?

Published on Wed, May 27, 2009 at 20:48 , Updated at Wed, May 27, 2009 at 21:51
Source : CNBC-TV18

Kamal Nath has been a high profile minister of Commerce and Industry, and has made a name for himself as a tough trade negotiator. But he may not return to Udyog Bhavan. CNBC-TV18’s Economic Policy Editor Vivian Fernandes reports.

Here is a verbatim transcript of Vivian Fernandes’ comments on CNBC-TV18. Also watch the accompanying video.

We do not know where the previous Commerce Minister Kamal Nath is going but we know where he is not going. He is not going to be in Udyog Bhavan. Now Kamal Nath had made a name for himself as a tough trade negotiator. The WTO talks broke down in Geneva last July because of the tough stand he had taken to protect Indian farmers and there is a feeling that India might have to make a climb-down and Kamal Nath would not like to be that person. But more than that I think Kamal Nath is a mass leader, he would like to be recognized as a politician of consequence which is why he wants a large domestic footprint.

There was talk of the industry portfolio being carved out as a separate ministry with additional charge of small and medium enterprises and heavy industry portfolio being added to it but such a minister sounds large but it is not weighty enough. So I think Kamal Nath wanted the Rural Development Ministry but we understand that, that is going to go to CP Joshi who is the Congress President in Rajasthan.

The other ministry that Kamal Nath fancied was the Infrastructure Ministry where there is a lot of broken things to be mended, for example, surface transport or even power and he would not be averse to the idea of being HRD Minister as well.

But I spoke to him, and he played his cards very close to his chest. He said that he would be comfortable with whatever Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh deemed suitable for him.